On Flames and the Perpetually Unexpected
by Ice of the Kitsune's Fire
Summary: AU. "Behind every princess, a fire-breathing dragon waits to fight for what is his..."
1. Chapter 1

Lucy took a deep breath.

_This was it._ The big day, the big moment that would forever chain her to this life…

_No, not chain_, Lucy thought to herself furiously. She inspected the flowery white dress she was donning, and sighed despite herself. She had no choice in the matter; she'd decided on the choice months ago, and would follow through. But a _bride_?

The thought was painful.

The door creaked open in the empty bedroom as a small woman peeked inside nervously. "Your Highness, are y-you ready? The wedding will start soon-" the maid's eyes widened as she broke off at the sight of Lucy with hot tears spilling down her face. Lucy quickly tried to cover them with trembling hands as the maid stuttered, "M-Milady?"

"Just call me Lucy." The blonde sighed, wiping away the tears with a white glove as she berated herself. This was no time for tears- responsibility came first. She bit down her lip, turning to face away from the woman to hide whatever might betray her inner turmoil. "No need for formalities right now."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm just nervous," Lucy reassured. And it was partially true. It just wasn't for the same reason the maid probably thought. With a nod, the woman left Lucy alone to look in the mirror of her guest suite.

In just mere hours, she would be out of this room and… sharing a bedroom with her… _husband_ instead. Lucy cringed, and tried to focus on rearranging her hair and makeup, ignoring the glaring alabaster of the dress.

"Lucy Heartphilia, ambassador of Magnolia," she murmured to her reflection somberly, then gave an empty laugh. "Doesn't sound as fancy now, does it, Lucy?"

She set down the brush she had been using and sighed. Although she was meant to unite the magical land of Fiore under the upcoming marriage, it didn't mean she had to like it. Her father had insisted that a marriage uniting the war-torn land was beneficial to all, and she had agreed for the people, biting back the bile that had risen in her throat.

_It was as if…_ as if she were giving in to her father, Lucy pressed her lips into a hard line and stepped into the dimly lit hallway, making for the castle's balcony. No matter how hard she tried to reassure herself that she was indeed doing it for benefit of Fiore, she couldn't help but relate it to what her father would be gaining instead. The kingdoms of Hargeon and Magnolia had long been at war with each other, and the marriage would no doubt end the conflict with a note of potential prosperity. The problem was, it wouldn't just be for those who were in desperate need of it…

The thought of her father left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Her fiancé, the Prince of Hargeon, was well-known for a likeable attitude and demeanor. Lucy's mouth twitched in distaste- really, she thought it was just his looks that made him popular amongst the people of his kingdom. Prince Loki was not a bad person, and she had come to like him over time, but she was not willing to marry him, much less love him. Still, she supposed, it could be worse: she could be marrying some old, cantankerous man that she had nary a clue about.

It wasn't _so_ bad. She had a white wedding dress. She had a huge crowd, with the perfect weather, and a handsome man… but god damn it, she wanted to marry for _love_, not for the money that her single parental figure would be raking in-!

She stepped out into the sunlight with a single _clack_ of her heels, and was immediately greeted with a roar of cheer as she came to a stop on the lavishly decorated balcony, complete with white ribbons and silk. Bypassing the guards and her fiancé, Lucy pointedly ignored her father, instead opting to stare proudly out at the crowd. A pair of arms wove around her waist, and she tensed for a moment before forcing herself to relax.

Trumpets wailed around her as Loki bent down to her face and nuzzled her. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," the blonde replied stiffly. Loki sighed, seeing that she was going to revert to formality, and let her go, settling for her hand instead. Her father, her _filthy, conniving_ father stepped up to the railing and gave a smile meant to charm.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" His voice boomed out across the cheering crowd. "We are gathered here today to join these two in holy matrimony …"

Lucy tuned out his voice furiously, pursing her lips to prevent her from doing something she would regret- perhaps shout and scream her refusal, perhaps tear off the dress that was too tight in all the wrong places and too damn formal for her liking and run away…

She could remember laughing with her mother as they played outside on sunny days like this; she raised a gloved hand to shield the rays from her eyes. They had giggled and pretended they were fighting legendary monsters and ran out, embarking on wild adventures. In reality, Lucy had lived her entire childhood sheltered an in a mansion where she was rarely let out unless to talk to crowds and be a plain figurehead.

"Nothing more," Lucy sighed quietly, "nothing less."

Loki gave her a questioning look; it was handsome, it was charming- but he was not what Lucy wanted. She only shook her head as they turned to her father.

"…and the land of Fiore shall finally be united!" Her father finished with a victorious note in his voice, and the crowd burst into applause. Lucy scowled. _It_ _figured that there wouldn't even be a __**real**__ wedding._ There was just a speech, a white dress, and a party. No vows. No love. Just politics and food- did it even count as a wedding at all?

Loki turned to her with a fond glint in his eye and smiled brilliantly as her father stepped aside. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut in consternation because she knew that this was where they sealed the deal. The man leaned in for a kiss as Lucy stiffened, perhaps prepared to jerk away, or-

An earsplitting roar suddenly pierced the skies.

Her sigh of relief that they hadn't kissed was suppressed when she heard the people below start screaming and dispersing from under the large castle balcony. Loki flinched and look towards the heavens- she followed his line of sight, dread creeping into her like lead. The guards all gave a shout of surprise and dropped their weapons, scrambling away.

A large creature, as magnificent in its glory as it was huge, had stormed the castle with a screech. Its scaled wings bat relentlessly against the walls, and a spout of flames flew out, singeing the gardens and tapestry. There was a chaotic scramble of bodies as the castle's vicinity quickly emptied the more the beast continued its onslaught. Lucy stared in horror and awe- destructive, yet... _graceful?_

"A dragon!" Her father swore, and Loki immediately moved protectively in front of Lucy, who was reeling from the shock.

"B-but, they never," Lucy stammered out, "they never leave the Outer Forest Boundaries! None of the mystical creatures do!"

Loki was shifted into an aggressive stance, even as Lucy began a panicked babble: "The only ones that even dare to come out and into the cities of Fiore are minor and only come out at night, like the occasional Barghest, or maybe a Gwyllgi or two-!"

"Lucy!" Her father thundered, cutting her rant short. "You two need to get out of there!" His voice was already smaller, weaker; he had ran away to save his sorry behind before checking to make sure if they were alright! The _coward_!

Perhaps it was the smite of her sense of teenage rebellion, but Lucy scowled and stood her ground beside Loki on the balcony, even as the dragon neared.

"What's the plan?" She hissed desperately to the amber-haired man, whose fists were already glowing with the famed magic passed down in his royal family.

"We drive off the threat to the kingdom," he said in a low alto, and Lucy's panic came back, full-force. The only magic she knew was wielding her magical whip, and not only was her dress hard to maneuver, but she had left her whip in her room!

The dragon gave another shriek and turned to face them; Lucy's resolve hardened. Grabbing a spear that one of the guards had dropped, she stood beside Loki as the dragon gave a harsh turn and came right for them.

"Lucy, I'll distract him- you know what to do!" Loki shouted, and she nodded; they leapt apart to opposite sides of the balcony as the dragon neared. She allowed her dress to rip without a second thought so that she could properly prepare her foot on the edge of the railing, ready to spring at any given second with the spear level in her palms.

"Over here, you foul beast," Loki hissed, his fists already beginning to glow. The dragon let out a burst of flames that Loki dodged- coming up from a roll into a crouch, Loki shouted, "O Regulus-!"

What happened next was so fast that Lucy didn't have time to react properly.

Despite the fact that Loki was fully prepared to fight and distract the dragon, the winged creature was clearly more intelligent than they had thought. The creature turned face and with a quick motion, swept towards Lucy.

Lucy's hands were frozen on her spear. From the corner of her eye, she could see Loki's entire body become rigid.

"LUCY!"

The last thing the blonde registered was the sensation of weightlessness and the heat of the flames.

* * *

><p>Someone was shouting.<p>

Lucy opened her eyes hazily- she blinked once, twice- and forced herself to take in her surroundings. She was back in her room, on a bed with the curtains drawn. There was a doctor, and a couple of maids- Lucy could hear the chaos of confusion outside in the halls, beyond the locked doors of her bedroom.

Her father wasn't even there to assure her wellbeing. Lucy looked down disgustedly and slowly struggled to get up. Her limbs screeched in protest, shooting pain throughout her system. She pointedly ignored this, gritting her teeth so that she would not groan in pain as she sat up. The comfortable sheets were no help to her stiff arms, which she gently massaged in an attempt to relieve herself from the discomfort.

A statuesque woman walked into the room, and the blonde felt a memory dredge up from the corner of her sluggish mind. Lucy recognized her from the long, trailing red hair that flowed behind her as she stepped towards the sheets. "Erza Scarlet," Lucy said in surprise as the name finally registered. "The captain of the Royal Guard back in Magnolia? What are you doing here?"

"I came as soon as I could, Lucy," the woman smiled, a certain amount of affection in her tone; Lucy smiled back at the older girl. Erza had been Lucy's only real friend back in Magnolia, in her life surrounded by poise and protocol. It was a great relief to see her; Lucy felt herself relaxing in her presence. "It was hard to relieve my duties and make the journey here, but I am glad I did. I see you are alright?"

"How long have I been asleep?" Lucy tried to stretch- pain coursed through her body, and she winced, falling back against the pillow as Erza rushed to help.

"Two days," the doctor said gravely, motioning the frantic maids aside as she moved closer to inspect her. "When Loki pushed you aside, you hit your head pretty hard. Some rubble fell on you, but luckily, most of the injuries aren't severe."

Lucy's brown eyes widened. "Loki! The dragon!" It all came back to her as quickly as the event itself had happened. "What happened? Is he alright?"

There was a silence in the room before the doctor gave a sigh. "Lucy, I'm sorry. He pushed you aside at the last moment to protect you, and the dragon made off with him. We don't even know if he's alive."

Lucy stared in disbelief at the old woman, even as she moved to take out some magical tools and began a healing process.

She may not have loved Loki, but he had become her friend nonetheless, and she didn't have many, what with her status. _There went months of hard work_, the girl thought bitterly, _and of arguments with my father, and now Fiore-_

-_Fiore!_ Lucy tried to sit up abruptly- the doctor pushed her down, frowning, but Lucy began to struggle. A fire shot through her body when the healer hit a sore spot, and Lucy could barely suppress a moan. Nevertheless, it was her _duty_ to struggle.

"But the unity of Fiore under Magnolia and Hargeon!" Lucy cried out, and she could tell that what was coming next wouldn't be good from the way Erza's eyes tightened. "What's to become of it?"

The scarlet-haired knight gave a sigh as she placed a reassuring hand on Lucy's forehead. "Their Council has accused us of setting the dragon on their Prince to disrupt the wedding, as it is such a rare occurrence to see them out of their natural territory. The unity has been called off; they've given us until you've healed to leave. The hostility is back at full force, Princess. We can't dissuade them."

Lucy felt her entire world shatter to pieces at the words. "Unacceptable!" She burst out, pushing the healer's hands aside, and ignoring the pain to slide off the bed. "There has to be a way! There is _no_ way that I'm going to let the citizens of Fiore suffer any more from this pointless war!"

Erza rushed to help steady Lucy as she faltered in her determined steps; Lucy groaned from the pain that shot through her side, but moved to grab the reassuring handle of her magic whip, earning herself a disapproving glance from Erza. The woman's hands tightened on her aching arms as she realized what Lucy's intentions. Lucy flinched as the grip threatened to open wounds, but kept her mouth shut, if only to prevent Erza from worrying any more.

"What are you _doing_?" The healer asked irritably. "You'll only hurt yourself more! Do you want Loki's sacrifice to be a waste?" She clacked her teeth impatiently, and motioned for Lucy to sit back down.

"He's not _dead_," Lucy grit out between clenched teeth. "I know him! He isn't dead- he'll fight to the last second! There's no way Loki will give up. He _knows_ what this marriage meant to the people of Fiore!" A fire rose up in her as she spoke; her pent-up frustration chose this moment to relieve itself, and Lucy allowed it to seethe out from her body as she glared pointedly at the healer.

Her whip, Fleuve d'étoiles, seemed to glow in response to her will, and Lucy gripped it determinedly as she moved to get dressed.

"Your highness," Erza grit out, disapproval seeping from her voice, "I do not believe that what you are doing is a good idea _at all._"

Lucy's eyes narrowed as she tightened her bandages until the pain dulled to a numbness, and threw on a robe, fitting her whip to hang by her side. She was comforted by its weight. Shrugging off Erza's cold hands, she shot the Knight her most reassuring smile.

"I'm going to find him," she declared, and purposefully strode out of the room.

* * *

><p>Natsu sighed at the sight of the newspaper that he held in his hands and threw it to the ground irritably, opting to grab a piece of bread (the only food he had left) and flung himself onto his couch.<p>

The problem, he decided, was that the citizens never wanted to bother making up for their poor treatment of the environment, or to even try understanding the viewpoints of the dragons and other creatures of Fiore. They polluted the land and built their homes where they were unwanted-

He snorted at his own thoughts- what with his occupation, one might think it odd that he was even considering it that way. He tore into his bread with his fangs- what did _they_ know, anyway?

A sharp rap came from the door. He ignored it, ripping another piece of bread and chewing irritably- it was probably just another one of those kids from town, hoping to see his rumored magic, or to see whether or not he was just a cantankerous old man (which he was _far_ from, thank you very much).

But another knock came, and another, and yet _another_, until he growled and threw aside the loaf. "Alright, alright! I'm coming!" He stomped over to the wooden door and flung it aside. "Okay, who do you think you are to interrupt my meal-"

He halted at the sight of the statuesque blonde standing in his doorway; one that he had been reading about just moments ago. Rather than the flashy dress he might expect the Princess to wear, she was simply wearing a hooded cloak and robe that any common traveler might don. The perfection of her otherwise unblemished face was marred by an infinitesimal scar on her cheek. He stared at her incredulously- she returned the favor, until the silence grew too awkward to handle.

"So," she coughed, breaking the tension. "Are you… perhaps… Natsu Dragneel?"

Natsu scoffed lightly. The Princess was clearly royalty through and through, but he was going to make it clear that she didn't have to be so… formal. "Gee, I'm honored to hear that the high and mighty Princess Lucy knows my name. Let's get this over with," he fingered his ear with a cocky grin. "Wudduya want?"

She was busy staring at his hair. Natsu snorted- _yeah, it was pink, get over it_- and fixed his glare on her. She shook her head from his mane and met his eyes. "You interrupted my eating," Natsu said pointedly. "You gonna get on with it or what?"

Lucy scowled at his flippant attitude and crossed her arms. "Well, aren't you going to invite me into your _humble abode_?"

Natsu stepped aside, playing along with a teasing light in his eyes. "Okay, sure. Welcome to my humble abode, yadda yadda, all that jazz. Come in, I guess."

The blonde indignantly grumbled something that she thought he couldn't catch- but he _did, _after all- and stepped into his home, plopping herself onto the couch. Natsu followed suit, throwing his feet onto his table and crossing his arms behind his head.

"Okay, comfortable, Princess?" He asked, shooting her a cheesy smile. She scowled at his jokingly light use of her title as she toed an article of clothing left on the floor. "Let's get down to business so I can go back to eating," Natsu reclaimed her attention. "Why are you here?"

The Princess regarded him with a sense of disgust and shifted away from him slightly- he laughed at her obvious discomfort from the mess that was his house. Various training equipment was strung over any available space- and there was little to spare at all. What wasn't covered with any mementos was piled with sweaty clothes and food that he had long forgotten about. Lucy took a moment to attempt to find a clean spot on his small couch; when this proved a rather fruitless venture, she gave up and cleared her throat. "Are you the famous Dragonslayer of Hargeon?"

"That's me," Natsu said cheerfully, picking up the previously discarded loaf of bread from the floor and tearing into it- Lucy flinched away as crumbs spewed from his mouth. "You need me for something?"

Lucy straightened her back, and her eyes met his- for one second, a certain determination flashed across her face, an emotion Natsu both knew well and admired in others. Unconsciously, he straightened in response to her will and paid closer attention.

"As you know, my fiancé was taken by a dragon three days ago. The land of Fiore is in the middle of a war, and if this situation isn't fixed, it will descend into chaos." She paused to make sure he was listening; Natsu nodded to show he was paying attention as he finished his bread. "I need you to help me find that dragon so the unity of Fiore can finally be settled. The Council of Hargeon seems to think that the kingdom of Magnolia set the dragon upon their Prince-"

"Idiots," Natsu snorted, interrupting. "People like you can't tame a dragon."

Lucy twitched at the condescending tone, but obviously forced herself to relax- Natsu almost laughed. She was an odd person, but admirable in her determination, nonetheless. Too easy to tease, though. "Those are my thoughts exactly. I need to put a stop to this war and prove our innocence, and for that, I need to find the dragon and end him."

"Woah, woah, hold up," Natsu held up his hands, cocking an eyebrow. "Why do you need to kill the dragon, again?"

The blonde stared at him, exasperated. "You think that a fire-breathing monster is just going to _hand_ me my fiancé back if I ask nicely?"

"Well, why not?" Natsu asked, immediately offended. "How would you know? Have you even _tried_?"

"Of course not! That dragon is clearly hostile and tried to kill me!" She stood up, abruptly incensed. "That dragon ruined the potential peace Fiore could have had! The citizens are suffering! Taxes are increasing, men are dying in the war-" she cut herself off abruptly, taking a deep breath and sitting back down. Natsu was silent for a moment.

"Alright, alright. I see where you're coming from, I guess." He looked around- it was true that he hadn't had anything to _do_ lately, and it wasn't as if he didn't have reasons for listening to her request- and gave a sigh.

"I can pay you," Lucy said gravely, misinterpreting his pause. "How much do you charge for your expertise? I can-"

"No, no," Natsu waved her off dismissively. "I'll make a special exception this once. You don't have to pay me." No matter that she didn't know _why_ he was doing this- a stranger didn't need to know his intentions, no matter how royal they were.

She abruptly stopped, staring. "Really?" Her voice changed from serious to ecstatic, thoroughly confusing Natsu. In a sudden movement, the blonde tackled the pink-haired Dragonslayer in an embrace.

"Well, yeah," Natsu said gruffly, struggling to prevent her from hearing the embarrassment in his voice. "I mean, why-?" He paused, a grin growing over his face.

"Don't tell me," he said, barely able to contain his chortles, "that you didn't have the money in the first place?"

Lucy let go of him and flushed a lovely red that had him laughing. "W-well, my father doesn't actually know I'm here, because I'm not supposed to be, and, well…"

"I get it, I get it," Natsu sobered up, offering a toothy grin. "I guess you're just like the rest of us, too, aren't ya?" His eyes rested upon her hips, where the outline of a vague shape protruded from under the cloak.

Lucy paused for a moment, and undid her outer robe, letting it fall to the ground, and Natsu could see that not only did the Princess own what seemed to be a magical whip, but she was clearly injured and bandaged as well.

"I won't be dead weight," she promised when his mouth drooped into a hard line at the sight. "I can fight even when I'm injured. I'm not some damsel in distress."

"I'm sure," Natsu said appraisingly. "You wouldn't have the guts to come here and ask me if you didn't."

She smiled at his approval, and he offered a grin in response, now feeling much more relaxed. Despite the tight formality of Court, the Princess of Magnolia didn't seem to be too affected by it. She was a decent person…

"Lucy," Natsu said, going to dig through the mess on the floor for his belongings, "can you describe this dragon for me?" His suspicions were already there, but…

"It was… a rouge kind of pink, almost red," she said after a moment's hesitance. Lucy went on to describe the dragon in detail, missing the way Natsu's eyes narrowed as she went on.

_That was it_. He had been right about the dragon that had attacked her.

Shouldering his knapsack and throwing on a ragged cloak, Natsu gestured to Lucy, who cut off and look at him, confused.

"You said that your father didn't know you were here, right?" he rolled his eyes at her. "We can leave now. Get a head start and stuff. We might be able to cover a decent distance before nightfall."

"W-what?" Lucy gaped, scrambling to put on her cloak. "Really? I mean, that's great," she amended under his stare, "but you don't need time to prepare? We _are_ searching for a dragon."

Natsu paused, halfway out the doorway, and gave her a reassuring smile, grabbing her wrist. "I'm a Dragonslayer. I know what I'm doing."

He watched as a smile of her own lit up her face and dragged her out the door.

* * *

><p>"WHAT?" Charles Heartphilia slammed his fists onto the table, enraged. "WHERE IS SHE?"<p>

"I-I don't know, your Excellency," the guard stammered under his gaze. "I was just told that she left without a word, a-and we haven't seen her since."

"How," Charles grit out, "Long. Has. She. _Been. Gone?_"

"A-a-a-a few mere hours, S-Sir! Your Ma-Majesty!" The poor man was shaking now.

"That damn ungrateful _brat_," he snarled. His fingers clenched tightly into his fist as he considered the situation. "You. Send word to the Head Knight that she is to track down the Princess and bring her back. She may bring a companion if she wishes but she is to do it as efficiently and as quickly as possible."

"Y-you mean Erza Scarlet, sir?" The guard whimpered. "I-I'm not sure she'll be too happy about this, your Majesty…"

"_You would disobey me?"_ Heartphilia hissed. The man shook his head frantically and quickly backed off from him, turning to sprint away at the last second. Charles settled into his chair.

That insolent child would learn her place.

* * *

><p>Natsu and Lucy were just beyond the outskirts of Hargeon before she turned to him and teased, "You know, I didn't expect the infamous Dragonslayer to have pink hair and a ridiculous scarf."<p>

Natsu flushed indignantly, but nonetheless attempted to retain an air of pride. "There's nothing wrong with pink hair, you weirdo. And this scarf is special!"

They continued to banter playfully, blissfully unaware of the eyes that were watching them in the shadows.

_**XXX**_

A/N: Sooo… **please stop to review**? Different series, different style, different plot… I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about this story thus far.

Edit 6/07/11: Beta-read by the lovely songstar13. :)


	2. Chapter 2

"Lucy, I'm _hungry_…"

Lucy trudged alongside Natsu, feeling her feet practically crying out in pain. However, her mind spoke of other problems- no doubt her father would be furious that she had left with no notice. With a pout, she kicked a pebble on the roadside.

"It's not my fault that you're such a big eater," Lucy reminded the dragonslayer. "You've eaten all the food supplies that I thought to bring with me."

"You didn't bring a lot," Natsu sighed, rubbing his growling stomach. Lucy almost laughed as his expression, but reminded herself that it was his fault that the dragonslayer was so… childish!

"It would have lasted a good two weeks if you had portioned it correctly. And, Natsu, we've been on the road for _four days_." She let this fact sink in as they meandered down the road, and then tacked on as an afterthought, "And it's _Princess_ Lucy to you."

"Sure, sure, Lucy," Natsu laughed, waving her comments off. Lucy cinched her face and was about to say something when Natsu cut her off before she could say anything. "Look! A town!"

"W-what? _Really_?" The Princess excitedly peered, and sure enough, a small town was in sight. She hadn't wanted to admit it, but she was hungry as well. She blushed when her stomach grumbled, and Natsu laughed, pausing to poke her midriff. The blonde squealed, and chased after him.

They had been wandering the path for _four days_ since Hargeon, and Lucy hadn't thought that it would be so _hard_ traveling. Her resolve was wavering the _tiniest_ bit; Lucy wasn't a bad fighter, but her stamina was apparently something to be looked down upon, seeing as how Natsu wasn't even breaking out a sweat under the sun.

The excitement of finding refuge from traveling with little food and little sleep was a bright prospect; the two raced into the town, ignoring any aching joints they had.

"At last, _food_!" Natsu rejoiced. Lucy silently agreed, outwardly choosing to maintain an air of dignity. (If one could retain dignity while laughing at the top of your lungs while running like a banshee, that was.)

Lucy wasn't surprised when Natsu swung into the first joint they came across with his anticipation coming off in the form of drool; she looked sadly into her knapsack and sighed at the little amount of money she had left.

"Well, it wouldn't be '_a little'_ if the guy didn't eat so damned much," she murmured as they sat down on a pair of stools. Natsu sent her a cocky grin.

"Dragonslayers eat a lot," he said knowingly, waving over a bored-looking waiter who produced two menus and left them on the small table.

"I wouldn't know, would I?" Lucy replied dryly, picking up one and flipping through it eagerly- she could smell the aroma of the food around them, and her stomach felt like an empty cave. "I mean, you're the only dragonslayer I've heard of. For all I know, you're making this up."

This comment sparked an entire rant from Natsu as he vehemently protested her claim and gabbed about what he was going order. She pointed out that she only had so much money with her, which he ignored- she huffed in exasperation, but managed to smile. He was certainly energetic, and he wasn't bad company… Lucy had been expecting someone more intimidating as a traveling companion with the title of 'Dragonslayer', but Natsu was good company.

"No, really," Natsu was saying as she scanned the list. "There are others like me."

She closed the menu interestedly and clasped her hands with a smile at his enthusiasm. "Really? How do you know?"

The Princess was surprised to see Natsu falter at that, and watched in trepidation as he fumbled for an answer; he was saved by the waiter, who came back and monotonously asked for their orders.

"I'll have this steak," the pink-haired boy jabbed at something, and the waiter scribbled it down. "And that thing under it. Oh, those noodles in that picture look good, too. I want a cheesecake as well. Can I also have some curry? With chicken. Does that cost extra?"

Lucy flinched consecutively with each thing Natsu added onto the list; the waiter took it all in stride, as if this happened every day, and turned to Lucy. "And you, ma'am?"

"I'll…" she laughed nervously. "I'll just have some water." The waiter shrugged and walked away- Natsu turned to Lucy in surprise.

"But aren't you hungry?" He asked in all seriousness, frowning. Lucy buried her face in her hands.

"Of course I am," she sighed. "But I don't even know if I have enough to pay for _half_ of your order."

"And you're letting _that_ stop you?" Natsu asked, confusion etched into his features, as if her predicament was unheard of. "Why don't you just eat something?"

Lucy groaned and slumped onto the table. _So much for good company_. "Never mind."

They passed the next few minutes in a comfortable silence- well, Natsu was obviously so- but Lucy was awkwardly refusing to look at him until his food arrived.

The food was awkwardly piled onto each other on the small table, and Natsu dug into the food eagerly- Lucy watched with a small frown marring her features.

She hadn't brought that much money to start with, and the odd dragonslayer had quickly eaten her out of food within four _days_. The Princess was starting to worry that she had been too optimistic in setting out for Loki. On one hand, she _didn't want to marry him_, but if it meant saving hundreds of people from dying in the war between Hargeon and Magnolia, she would gladly sacrifice her own happiness.

On the other hand- Lucy flinched away from Natsu as food splattered from his general person (how could anyone be so _messy_ when eating- this dragonslayer was dangerously brash and had no worries. How would she even _begin_ solving her problems when he, the supposed solution of them, was so… so-!

"Hey, Luce," Natsu mumbled through a mouthful of steak. "You like noodles?"

"It's _Lucy_," the said girl replied brusquely, and then paused. A moment later, she amended; "Princess Lucy, and yeah. I guess I do."

"Good," the dragonslayer laughed. "You can have the noodles." He clumsily pushed the plate towards Lucy, grabbing a bread roll and stuffing it into his mouth at the same time.

She smiled at the gesture and graciously took it (finally_, food!_), wondering if she wasn't perhaps being too paranoid… Natsu laughed when she slurped the noodles with a very un-royal-like splatter from the sauce, and she couldn't help but laugh with him. He was so free-spirited for a reason, she reminded herself. She shouldn't try to be so uptight; it wouldn't get her anywhere…

The two were about halfway finished with their meal when a loud crash interrupted.

The blonde whirled around as a mess of customers fled the joint, shouting in panic. The waiter that had served them walked through the doors from the kitchen, took one look at what had caused the ruckus, and promptly fainted. Natsu chuckled mercilessly.

"Wha-?" Lucy turned towards the source of the noise, and her blood ran cold.

From the corner of the restaurant, debris had flown from a gaping hole in the side, allowing the sun entry. Chunks of wood were scattered carelessly around the mess; Lucy's eyes followed the rubble upwards, and sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed.

"Princess Lucy Heartphilia," Erza Scarlet stepped into the building, dual swords brandished, "I've been looking for you."

"Sheesh, you could afford to be less dramatic about it," Natsu called from next to Lucy, and hopped off his stool, cracking his knuckles with a snarl. "You ruined my meal, freak. You're gonna pay for that."

"Princess," Erza said coldly, and Lucy almost, _almost_ regretted leaving at that moment- the only friend she had ever made was regarding her with such distance that she suddenly felt very, very alone. "Who is this?"

Lucy opened her mouth to reply, her hand twitching towards the whip at her side, but Natsu interrupted.

"I'm her friend, I'm gonna kick your ass." He stepped forward threateningly; Erza matched his movement.

"W-wait, you don't understand," Lucy choked out, wondering how she would possibly _stop_ this mess- was Erza sent to retrieve her? _Did Erza actually listen to her father instead of hearing her friend's wishes?_ She didn't have the proper amount of time to feel betrayed, apparently- a calloused palm grabbed Lucy from behind and spun her around, tossing her aside into the opposite corner.

"Lucy!" Natsu snarled, whirling around. Lucy coughed and forced herself to her feet, cursing herself for having let her guard down. The dragonslayer was being cornered by their two assaulters; one being Erza, and the other a dark-haired man she had never seen before.

"I," she hissed, "can take care of myself, Natsu." She expertly swung her whip from her hips and snapped it out- it made a satisfying _crack_, and she felt a rush of adrenaline- it had certainly been a while since she had last fought with _Fleuve d'étoiles_, and the feeling was such a wonderful rush-

The pink-haired dragonslayer laughed- she thought she caught a mix of relief and amusement in his tone- and turned to charge at Erza. The blonde's eyes widened when his entire body lit on fire, and the heat in the destroyed restaurant suddenly became sweltering. Erza stood her ground, and Lucy glumly remembered that Erza wasn't the Head of Magnolia's Royal Guard for nothing. They clashed once; the power that the two emanated was… terrifyingly beautiful. For one moment, Lucy felt envious.

A fist slammed into her face, effectively waking her from her stupor. Lucy growled in frustration at the dark-haired man that had caught her unawares yet again, and leapt forward with her whip in hand.

"You should pay more attention," he smirked. "I'm offended you're not taking me seriously."

"Don't say that when I _am_," she huffed irritably, pumping her body's magic and directing it to the whip. With a quick leap, she raised her arm and slashed out with the glowing whip.

The man held his arms in front of his body protectively; in a split second, a large shield of ice had encased the space between the two. Lucy clenched her teeth as the whip snapped against the shield, making a sizeable crack, but otherwise leaving Gray completely unharmed.

"You're good and have a lot of potential," he observed, "but you're obviously untrained."

"Now who's not taking this seriously?" She frowned; Lucy was answered with three spikes of ice that shot at her at an alarming speed; she narrowly avoided it, arcing her body- the ice hit the wall behind her. She flicked her wrist; the whip snatched the large pieces of ice that had embedded themselves into the wall and flung them back at her attacker.

He snorted at her resourcefulness and made to attack once more-

"Wait, _wait,_" Lucy interrupted, stopping him short. "Where did your shirt go?"

The dark-haired man looked down at his torso, and sure enough, his shirt had miraculously disappeared. "Gah! How did that happen?"

"Don't ask me!" She hissed irritably, cocking a hip. "Why did you strip in the middle of a fight? Don't tell me I'm _that_ easy to battle-"

The Princess gaped as the ice-wielder frowned in consternation as he stripped off his pants.

"What could have happened to my shirt…?" He groaned, still distracted by the mystery, even as his hands moved to take off his underwear.

"STOP!" Lucy flushed a million shades of red (it _was_ the first time she had seen a man so… so _bare!_) and instinctually flung out her hand. To her surprise, she had forgotten that she was still holding _Fleuve d'étoiles_, and the whip arced towards him.

Caught unawares himself this time, the man hissed in surprise as the whip painfully wrapped itself around him and clenched. Lucy grasped the handle of _Fleuve d'étoiles _determinedly, continuously feeding it magic- in response, her foe let out a moan of pain, slumping against the floor with a twitch.

The blonde Princess immediately felt a wave of regret wash over her, and she forced the whip to unravel- now that it was gone, she could see red marks that had burned their way into his skin around his torso, and habitually let out a worried cry, rushing over to aid him.

The ice-maker looked up in surprise as she helped him up and began to flutter nervously over his wounds (after forcing him to clothe himself). "What are you doing, you idiot?"

"I-I'm sorry!" She squeaked, patting him experimentally- he winced in pain. Lucy began rambling, unsure of what to do or say. "I-I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear! It was an a-accident; I would never have hurt another person-!"

"You're… not a fighter, are you?" he cocked an eyebrow at her frantic behavior, and she forced herself to smile, embarrassed that she had tried to initiate an attack against this man. He shook his head, snorting. "That's okay. I actually didn't expect the Princess to be able to fight."

"M-my name is Lucy," she murmured to her hands. Here she was, cursing the dragon that had ruined the potential peace of Fiore, and yet she had dared raise a hand against another person! It was all so very silly- "I hope you can forgive me."

He burst into laughter as another crash resounded from Natsu's direction. Her eyes flickered towards the sound, and then back down at the man she had helped up as he offered her a hand.

"My name's Gray. I can't believe you thought I didn't know your name, Princess."

With a nervous laugh, she took Gray's hand and helped him into a sitting position. "A-are you from the-?"

"I'm from Magnolia as well," he said, jerking a thumb slowly in Erza's general vicinity. "I serve under that crazy chick."

"You're from the Royal Army as well?" She cocked her head, wondering where all of his hostility had disappeared to. "Are you guys really here to bring me back? Did my father do this?"

Gray seemed to consider an answer before grinning lopsidedly and pointing at Erza and Natsu, who had gone from sizing each other up to a mixed series of close-combat blows. "Ask the Titania herself. She'll tell you- hey, where are you going?"

Lucy had stumbled to her feet as Gray was talking, and raced across the small building towards her two friends. Gray let out a sigh and slumped against the wall, smirking knowingly to himself.

"Natsu, stop!" Lucy shouted over the roar of steel and flames- the heat Natsu was letting out was absolutely torturous, but Erza's sturdy swords bat away at his limbs each time an attack was attempted with the finesse only a master swordsman had. "Natsu, you'll be hurt!"

Natsu let out a roar as his leg blazed towards the scarlet-haired knight, who sheathed one of her swords and channeled her energy into the single blade, which flared to life with a power that had Lucy intimidated from the sight of the display.

They were going to attack each other.

"STOP!" Lucy vaulted herself between the two attacks, her eyes tightly shut. "I'm _not_ going to allow my only two friends to kill each other because of my stupidity! If it'll stop this meaningless fight, I'll go home with… you… Erza…" Lucy trailed off- why hadn't she been hit be either of their attacks? _It was too silent…_

Lucy popped open one eye, and then another. To her astonishment, Natsu was rolling on the floor, banging his fist against the wooden panels and trying not to laugh too hard; Erza herself looked extremely amused.

"Princess," Erza snickered, "no need to take things so seriously."

_Eh?_

"Yeah, Lucy," Natsu howled from the floor. "You're such a drama queen! I can't believe you actually thought we would kill each other!"

_EH?_

"Lucy," the scarlet-haired knight said gently, sheathing her swords, "we were both well aware that this was just a friendly match."

"Friendly… match?" Lucy echoed, feeling hopelessly out of the loop.

"Yeah," Natsu said, lips curved wickedly at her obvious discomfort. "Haven't you heard that warriors can tell what the other is thinking when they clash fists?"

"Swords," Erza correctly stiffly.

Natsu's onyx eyes narrowed. "It's fists, dumbass."

"Swords."

"Fists!"

"Sw-!"

Fearing that their 'friendly match' really would dissolve into a serious fight, Lucy waved her hands nervously. "Now, now, they're both equally as good-"

The two turned on her and hissed menacingly, ready to protest (and Gray was in the corner, shouting about how it was "_Ice, ice is obviously the best!"_) but a man interrupted them.

"Excuse me, I'm the manager of this place," the short man looked at them, annoyance marring his already-pudgy face.

Lucy felt her face crumple in expectation of the inevitable; Natsu leaned over coyly, whispering, "_Ooooh_, Lucy, you're _busted!~_"

Lucy did a quick inventory of all the burns, scorches, and slash marks and very nearly wailed. "It's not even my fault-!"

"No matter," the manager scowled. "In any case, the expenses should amount to…" he assessed the damage and nodded. "About four hundred-thousand Jewels." A pause. "Plus tax."

Lucy's jaw gaped. "Th-that's outrageous! I don't even have ten thousand on me!"

"You don't?" Erza seemed relatively surprise. "But Princess-"

"Oh, a _Princess_, is it?" The man studied her face, a new glint in his eye that Lucy _really_ didn't like. "In that case, I think the amount can be raised to-"

Lucy grabbed Natsu and Erza, and the three made a swift escape.

The manager began to chase after them, but thought better of it; with a dramatic turn, he smirked evilly at the sitting Gray in the corner, who immediately shuddered at the look.

"H-hey, wait up!"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you guys left me back there!" Gray whined, finally catching up to the other three, who were panting in exhaustion as they finally put decent distance between themselves and the town. "That guy was about to charge me a million Jewels!"<p>

"Not our fault you're so slow," Natsu grumbled.

"That old man _was_ an odd sort," Erza shivered, and Lucy almost laughed, slumping against the older woman's back as the four rested in the shade of a large tree on the side of the road. In her mind's eye, Lucy could see the damage of the restaurant that had been done; Lucy gulped, remembering the gaping holes and debris.

There was honor, and then there was practicality. There was _no way_ she could afford to fix that, and it was even less likely that she would go back to ask her father for the money…

"Did you call me _slow_?" Gray snarled at Natsu, who immediately responded by butting heads with the ice-mage.

"But it _is_ my fault," Lucy said quietly, looking down at _Fleuve d'étoiles_, which pulsed softly as if sharing her sentiments. "I hurt him."

"No one's blaming you," Erza was quick to reassure the blonde girl. "You were attacked. Anyone would have done the same thing."

"Besides, I'm strong enough so that I won't be hindered by a minor wound like this," Gray grinned, producing a thin sheet of ice over his (naked) torso as a source of relief. Natsu not-so-subtly blew a wisp of flame that melted the small layer of ice, and the two immediately burst into a loud argument.

"They're just like fire and ice," the Princess laughed softly. "Completely opposite."

"Not so," Erza said soothingly. "They do have _one_ thing in common; they're both your friends now."

Lucy allowed a smile to spread over her face as she took this in; for years, she'd had only books and this knight as her friends, but now, in the spurt of a single day, she had three. That was a marked improvement.

"By the way," she suddenly remembered, "why are you here?"

Erza lay down in the grass, watching as Natsu and Gray proceeded to hurl magic at each other. "Your father sent me."

Lucy cast her eyes aside, allowing the shade of the large tree's branches to shadow her pained expression. _Father_…

"I was told to retrieve you at any cost, and to bring someone with me if necessary," the scarlet-haired woman continued. "I brought Gray as a source of back-up, because I had already suspected you would be bringing someone with you in your quest."

"But…" the blonde bit her lip. "You brought Gray as a back up? But you didn't end up obeying Father, did you? Why did you need him?"

"Obviously," the older woman smiled gently, placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I knew you wouldn't be so easily dissuaded, and you're my friend." The word warmed Lucy's heart as Erza went on, "so I grabbed the most trustworthy person I knew so we could aid you in your search for your fiancé."

Lucy felt her lip tremble, and suddenly burst into tears, wrapping her arms around the Knight's cold armor; the woman blushed in response, lightly returning the embrace. Natsu and Gray broke off their argument, watching in confusion as the two girls had a little moment.

("Girls are weird," Natsu murmured in an aside; Gray vehemently disagreed, if only to disagree with the dragonslayer.)

Before Natsu could throw another punch, Gray quickly broke in, "So do you have any idea where Loki might be?"

"I don't know," Lucy admitted, waving a hand towards Natsu. "That's why I sought this guy out."

"Yeah, she wouldn't be able to get anywhere without me," Natsu preened at Gray, who twitched. "She doesn't need _your_ help- what good would an _ice mage_ do against a fire-breathing dragon?"

"Okay, Natsu, quit provoking Gray," Lucy sighed, morphing her tone into one she used in court; poised, elegant, with a touch of condescending. She put a small hand on Natsu's shoulder and pulled him away slightly from Gray. "You guys don't need to fight needlessly." She took a quick glance at their surroundings, eager to change the topic and avoid a possible war between the two testosterone-filled males. "This seems like a pretty good place to set up camp for the night."

"Agreed," Erza said immediately, and then paused. "Princess, I am afraid I must share a sleeping bag with you. In my haste, I brought nothing but my weapons."

Lucy sighed fondly- Erza was the same as ever- and set down her knapsack; Natsu walked over to help her prepare the camp.

("There's no _way_ I'm sharing _anything _with flame-breath over there," Gray muttered to Erza. The scarlet haired woman turned and gave him a monstrous glare; the ice mage spent the next fifteen minutes cowering behind the tree.)

"You two…" Erza's lips twitched upwards as she watched their teamwork. "You would make a cute couple, you know?"

"W-what?" Lucy immediately drew back from the dragonslayer, blushing crimson. "N-no way! D-did you see that guy fight? He was l-like a _dragon!_ So dangerous and scary and just plain frightening!" Her mouth was running like a motor now; she couldn't stop her embarrassed rant. "Besides, he's just some… some hunter! I'm a _Princess_."

The blonde hesitated when Natsu said nothing; she and the Knight turned to look at the pink-haired fire mage, who was staring openly in shock at Lucy.

"U-um, Natsu?" Lucy attempted, feeling all of a sudden, very, very foolish.

He shook his head at the sound of her voice, and looked disdainfully at her before turning his back and stalking off into the forest. "I'll go and hunt something for tomorrow. Finish pitching the tent." His normally tone had turned suddenly into something cold and... Lucy hadn't realized how _comforting_ Natsu normally was until Natsu's voice turned hostile.

Lucy watched in surprise as he angrily away, pausing once to spit in Gray's direction before harrumphing and vanishing into the woods. Erza sat in a stunned silence before murmuring, "My Princess, you don't think that perhaps what you did was a bit… harsh?"

"Dude, you should have seen his face," Gray stepped out from his hiding place, scrubbing irritably at his face with his hand (probably where Natsu's saliva had hit). "He looked so… shocked. Like you ran over his puppy or something."

"I-I didn't mean to!" Lucy stammered; _Fleuve d'étoiles _was growing cold at her side. A sense of shame overwhelmed the girl as she stammered out, "I was just… just embarrassed, and I couldn't help but…"

_But how much of what was said was true?_ Lucy bit back her words, regretting the fact that she had probably offended Natsu. Had she really been scared? Was she really so… so shallow and _petty_ as to really mean what she had said…?

Erza sighed, producing a map from the folds of her armor, and laying it out. "According to some of the research I've done, the places I've marked on here should be among the most likely for dragons to make their nest, considering their magical aptitude and environment. I'm sure that Natsu, being a dragonslayer, could narrow down the possibilities. However, Princess, I understand that you have an extensive knowledge of the magical world. Do you have any suggestions as to where we should head next?"

Gray and Erza looked intently at Lucy, who had lapsed into a depressed sort of silence. With a sight, Gray shoved Lucy to her feet.

"What was that for?" She hissed, stumbling.

"Go after him," Gray grouched. "You're going to be no help to us if you're busy moping."

Lucy weakly grinned at Gray's embarrassment at showing a soft side, and went off towards the direction that Natsu had gone, leaving the two Knights to strategize.

It wasn't hard to follow Natsu, the whip-wielder realized after a few moments of walking through the forest. The dragonslayer had left scorch marks, likely burst out from frustration, all over his trail. Lucy followed the burns and smoking wood until she came to a small break in the trees; there, Natsu was sitting in the center, legs crossed and head resting in his hands.

Lucy stepped closer; his ears twitched and he briefly nodded, acknowledging her presence. Neither of them said anything for a moment, and Lucy sighed, unwilling to wait out the tension.

"Natsu," she said slowly, "I'm sorry."

He said nothing, settling for gazing at the sky, not even turning to look at her.

"It's just… I guess I've been accusing you of being too brash when I, myself, am the same in a different sense. I really am sorry about what I said."

Still no response. However, the pink-haired boy _did_ turn to eye her contemptuously. She flinched under his sturdy gaze.

"I've been raised in a castle, with no one to talk to," she said to the ground, shifting her feet. "I don't know how to interact properly with other people, and I get embarrassed easily…" her hand wandered to scratch the back of her neck nervously. "You're only the second friend I've ever made in my life, and I'm eighteen. That's kind of sad, huh?"

Natsu's gaze softened, but his mouth remained a stubborn, harsh line. Lucy decided to press on. "I promise, Natsu, I'll get better. I may not be a genius, but I'm a Princess, and we Princesses have our pride. I just… didn't know what to say in that kind of awkward situation. But I can learn how to… to be real friends with you. I've enjoyed our talking and our arguments and… I just…" She held out her hand, allowing it to bask in sunlight as it stretched towards him.

She hoped that the gesture conveyed the words that she couldn't say.

Natsu seemed to understand; he stood up slowly, taking her hand to sway onto his feet as twigs crunched under his worn shoes. "You don't know me very well," he cautioned, his face utterly serious. "Are you sure you want to be friends with someone… someone you don't know anything about?"

Lucy smiled genuinely, ecstatic at his response. "I may not know you very well, but I'd like to."

A smile etched its way onto Natsu's tanned skin in response to her own beam, and the two walked, loosely hand in hand, back to camp.

* * *

><p>Natsu was awake before the others. The sun was barely peeking over the land as it shone down onto their camp at the edge of the woods. The beams were peeking through the foliage; a small ray of light found its way to Lucy's face, making her skin as porcelain as it was warm and flawless.<p>

He bit his lip in indecision, looking over from the Princess, to the two Knights (Gray, in his unwillingness to share a sleeping back with Natsu, whose feelings were reciprocal, had opted to sleep on the grass instead), and back to the blonde.

She was so… so _weird_, he snorted to himself. She was stupid enough to offer to be friends with him when she didn't even know what he _was_.

With a torn expression, the dragonslayer looked at the map Erza had laid out earlier, and scorched it with the tip of his finger. Then, working quickly and silently, he packed his sleeping bag back into the knapsack and, with one last look, stood up.

In any case, he would see in time. For now...

Without another backward glance, Natsu walked away.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for the responses for the first chapter! Please continue to leave feedback as you read so I can know what to work on and what should be kept. I hope you enjoyed what I've written so far- I've worked really hard to lay out the plot this time, so I do hope you guys come back to read and share your opinions.


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